I have just been to pharmacy to pick up my meds and for the first time have been given a generic rather than brand name. I take Effexor and have been given a generic venlafaxine. I have read that some people find quite a difference between them even though they are supposed to be the same, I was wondering if any one had had any views on this.

Just speaking for me I found a differance between name brand and genaric.For me it didnt work as well to help the PA"s and they made me sick to my stomach. I have to have my doctor once a year send a appeal letter to my insurance telling them I can not take genaric Xanax so they will pay for the brand name . Hugs Anna

have the same active ingredients, the same dosage form (tablets, capsules, suspension, and syrup) and are identical in the strength or concentration to brand name medications.

They may look different in shape, size and colors. There are strict guidelines that the generic medication has to meet in order to be called therapeutically equivalent and be marketed to you.

To be approved by the Food and Drug administration here, the amount of medication absorbed and the time that it takes the medication to be absorbed by the generic has to be within a certain percent of the brand name medication.

Even with these guidelines, there may be small differences between medications manufactured by different companies. In many cases, these differences will not dramatically change the way people respond to the medicine, but, in some people, even these small differences may be important. Usually, if a person can be kept on the same manufacturer’s product, they can be effectively and safely treated.

I hope that the generic works well for you. YOu will be able to tell the difference right away, I am sure. Effexor is a tricky drug and if you don't take it, you really know it. I just pray that the generic works well for you,. I think I already said that. lol...

I take effexor too, I take the extended release though. The generic will come out in the summer of 2010. I am nervous about it. I take 375mg a day. And if it isn't the same, I will definately know right away.

Thanks, I am anxious about this change as I to know that Effexor can be a tricky drug and have read people have noticed a big difference. I take Effexor xl which is the extended release version and have been given the generic equivalent and hope it goes smoothly as when I started taking Effexor I did get a lot of side effects. Garen thanks for your post and support.

I saw a short snippet of a documentary about generic vs. brand name medication... and it pretty much echoed what she said...

I think any difference someone finds in the medication is probably due to the placebo effect... It's kind of like generic vs. brand name foods/drinks... Some people will swear they taste different, but if they get put to the test, they usually don't find any difference at all... Or they mix things up, saying the generic brand tastes better than the brand name....

I take generic medicines because I don't have a choice in the matter... They work just fine for me, and I don't expect them to work any different... //^_^\\'I think I am being picked on by life, sometimes. But's that okay. Life and I are good buddies... I know life doesn't mean no harm. It just is the way it is. I can accept that.